Lamp holder



June 8, 1943. I W.IR. YOUNG LAMP HOLDER Filed July 11, 1942 Inventor: WilliaTnR.Youn g, by 5 w /V////H s Zt borneg.

liatented June 8, 1943 UNITED STATES PAT'EN 1% mice 2,321,446 7 LAMP HOLDER ,William R; Young, Fairlield, Conn., assignorto 'General Electric New York:

Company, acorporation of V App icants Ju y 11, 1942, Serial No. 450,525

' 5Claims. '(ci. 173-228) the curved "wall I 9 of the recess. A channel 22 My. invention relates to lamp holders and more particularly. to a lamp holder for atubular discharge lamp, such asa fluorescent lamp of the type. now in commercial use.

Theobject of my invention is the provision'of a newand improved lamp holder in which the lamp may 'be securely mounted in position by first" moving it transversely andthen rotating it relae tively to'theaxis of the lamp, I

Another objectof my inventionis the provision of a lamp holder which comprises relatively few parts such that: it may be easily assembled and manufactured at. low-cost.

Inthe accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a' view of atubular dischargelamp supported at each end by lamp holdersconstructed in. accordance with my inventiom liig. 2 is a frontelevation of the extends between the parallel slots I5 and I6 and is of a depth corresponding to that of the recess l8 with which it merges. The wallsof the chan--' no] 22 are formed by the aforementionedguiding member 20 and: also that portion 23 of the housing which is disposed between the spaced parallel slots l5and16. Theportion 23 is providedwith inclined surfaces 24 which form, in effect, a V.

which follows, in general, the curved outer surface of the guiding member 20. Spaced contact members 25 and 26 are mounted within the recess l8,

the contact member 25 being located adjacent the curved wall I9 of the recess while the other lamp'holder; Fig; 3,. is ;a rear view thereof with a portion of the closure plate removedshowing the contact arrangement; l igg l is a sectional view along the line bf Fi'g- 2 showing the'lamp pins in position," Figs. 5 and '6 are sectional views throughth'elampfholder taken along-the' linesfi 5-5 and6-5; respectively. .of Fig.2 and Fig. 7 is an exploded-view showingthe'lamp' holder parts.

Referring tofFig'pl of the 'drawing", I' have" shown a tubular discharge lamp") supported-at each-"end by the lamp holders H, constructed in accordance with niy'invention. The lamp l may be of atype commonlyknown to the trade as a fluorescent lamp .in' which the filaments are mountedat each end." Electricalconnection' to the filaments is obtained through spaced contact' pins l2,shown by Fig.2,-which are-mounted in opposite ends of the lamp and which project therefrom thereby serving as amounting means;

The lamp-holder ll includes a base; l3 of any cated in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 7 of the drawing, the contact suitable insulating material. such .a ma molded plastic in a 'face M (Fig. of thebase, spaced parallel slots I Sand I6 arewprovlded which extend inwardly from an edge llof the base andmerge The recess 48 has a curved wall, as indicated at l9, and together with the slots I 5 and I6 forms, in effect a U-shaped recess,'the slots vIii-and I 6 forming the arms or legs of the U, and that portion of the recess I8 defined by the curved wall l9 forming thebend or base of the U. The slots and 5 are of a depth and width such that the with a recess l8 likewise formed in the face I4. 1

' channel 22 in the face [4. The recess3| is accescontact pins l2 of the lamp may be inserted therein by movement transversely to the axis of the lamp. Projecting from thebottom of recess I8 is a guiding member which is annular in shape except for a flattened portion 2| adjacent material, such as spring bronze.

contact member 26 is located .at a. point adjacent the inclined walls. 24 of the housing, portion 23.

These spaced contact members cooperate with the contact pins of the lamp in a manner now to be'described. a

-.To insert the lamp in the holder, the spaced spaced parallel slots 15 and I6 and then the conpin is moved into the channel 22; Furtherjfrota-.

tion of the lamp moves the contact pins into 'ena gagement with the spaced contact members 25 and 26, the final position of the pins being indimember 26 is made of any suitable conducting The contact is provided with a-lamp, pin engaging surface 21 which is formed asa V to receive and retain'the lamp pin. The V-shaped contact surface 21 is formed at an end portion of the contact which is hentatan angle to a baseportionnj the latt'er' is pr'ovided with cars 29 extending inopposite directions for holdingthe contact in position in the housing. A conductor '30 is secured to the contact member in any suitable manner, as by soldering. In order to receive and hold the contact member, the housing is provided with a recess 3| which merges with the aforementioned sible through the rear of the housing by means of a slot 32. To mount the contact member in position, it is simply insertedthrough the slot 32 into position such that thelamp pinengaging 1 surface 21 is seated in positionadjacent'thefront wall of the recess 3| where it maybe engaged; by the lamp pin, as shown by Fig.4, Besides contact pins of the lamp. are inserted in the tain the contact member in alignment. Elec selves, as shownat 36 in Fig. '1, and are'spaced bends in the contact mem a slightly apart. TheU ber formed by the bent -backends give the contacts. certain amount of flexibilityso that'it may be deflected to permit'inse'rtion of the lamp pin in the V-shaped-groove 34. The contact member is mounted in an appropriate recess 31 formed in the rearportion of the housing'which merges with the recess 18 at a point adjacent the curved wall I 9. A projection -38 extends from the wall of the recess 31; when the {contact is mounted in the recess,the proiectionextends between 'theends '35, as shown by Fig. 3, tomaintrical connection to the contactmember is made by a conductor 38 secured thereto in'any suitable manner, as by soldering. In seated position, the V-shaped surface 34 of the contact member is'exposed within the recess lain the manner shown by Figs. 2 and 4 to receive one of the lamp contact pins. a F

Both of the contact members 25 and 26 areheld in assembled position by a closure plate formed of any suitable insulating material, such as sheet fiber, and which-is held in position closing therec'esse's 3| and 31 by any suit,- able fastening means; such as hollow rivets 4|. These rivets extend through 'openings'42 inthe cover plate and corresponding openings 43 in the housing It Openings are formed in the closure plate for receiving'the conductors 30 and 39. In seated position, the closure plate rests against a face formed on the housing'o'pposite face l4 and which is counter-sunk with respect to an outer peripheral wall 46 which protectstheouter edge'of the closureplate. As shown in Fig. 1, the hollow rivets 43 maybe utilized to su port the lampholder on albase; they may receive fastening bolts 41 which secure the lamp holder to any suitable support, such as a bracket 48.

In mounting the lamp in position, the lamp pins are moved transversely to the axis of the lamp through the parallel slots I 5 and I6 and are then rotated into engagement with the conmanner already described tact members, in the by Fig. 2. The contact to the position shown member '26 has been shown as a fixed contact member while the contact member '25 is movable to a certain extent so that it may be deflected to permit the lamp pin tosnap into po,- sition in the, groove 34. However, it shouldbe manifest that the other contact'member 26 may; be likewise made slightly resilient. 'During rotation of the'larnp, the guiding member 20 serves to guide the lamp pins into engagement with the contact members. The flattened portion'2l of the guiding member provides an additional amount of space in the recess l8 adjacent the contact member 25 so that the lamp pin has room to snap over the edge of the groove 34.

It will be apparent that the contact member 26 is located in the housing between the spaced cps-1,446

slots 15- and 1': while :the 'coii-tact members; P is disposed in alignment with "contact it buton n opposite side or the guiding meniber in; This "mean-sithat onc'e 1 the lam'pepins are in" seated engagement mm the contact- "members, they-$are "out of'alignment with the entrance slots I iand 16 and hence"the lamp c'ann'ot be jarred or moved out of thesocketwithoutiflrst rotating it.

The contact members are spaced apart a'= dis-v tance slightlyless than the spacing ofthe 'lamp pins so that the contact member -25 iis slightly depressed to bias the corresponding la'mp ip'in firmly into 'en'gagement f-with the contact =26,

Since the "contactkmembersare madeor sheet material andare hijd in 'positiion E in the rnleidfe d housing simply my the closure plate, it will bje apparent that *the construetime is' 'onewhich may be manufactured and assembled at low ='cost.

From another viewpoint, asock'et according to my invention comprises a 'basje of insulating material which has a 7 face with l two parallel spaced grooves or slots "5,. ll-extending "through the edge of the face and twoarouat'e grooves-or slots ll. one connecting the "ends of the parallel grooves :and the other connecting inter :mediate portions of the parallel grooves. "Two contact fmembers' are secured t'o the base and each projeetsinto oneof the' arcuate grooves.

-From :still another viewpoint, any invention comprises a baseoff-insulating'materlal with -a substantiaily annularugroove in its "face. Two

' contact members are supported on the T base and project into diametrically opposite portions of thegroove. Two'parallel'gro'oves are formed in thebase-ta'ngent to-and communicating with the annular groove at diametrically opposite -po'r-.

tions thereof, .circun'iferentially spaced from the portions contained in the contact members.

What I claim as new-and desire to secureyby Letters Patent -of the UnitedStates-"is: 1. "In a lamp socket for use with a lamp have ing spaced contact -pins a base ot insulating materialfa U shaped :recess extending inwardly from one face of-the base, the arms of the -U extending to an outer edge of the housing, a guiding member in 'said-recess adiacent the bend' in the Uand' spaced-cont'acts in said rece'ss on opposite sides of the sald guiding memberpone"otsaid contact members being located between the arms of the U and theother contact being located near-the center'of the base ofthe U, the lamp pins being moved transversely to the axis of the lamp through the-arms of the 'U-shaped recess and then'rotate'd within the bend of the recess into engagement with said contact members. V

2. In a lamp socket for-use withalamp'having spaced'contact pins,'ahousing of insulating material, a 'u-shaped recess extending inwardly from'one faceo't' the housin'gpth'e'arms of the U extending "to an outer edge of the housing and spaced contact members carried by said housmg, "one oi said cont-act members extending into said recess at ajpoint adjacentthe bend in the a U, a substantially cylindrical guide formed within the U,'a wall spaced'from the guide substantially epposite the behd'of thcU and forming a groove; therewith. the other contact member extending into said groove.

3. A lamp socket for a lamp having spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, a housing of insulating material, one face of said housing having'spac'ed parallel slots extending,

inwardly from one edge thereof and merging with a recess, a guiding member in said recess, spaced contact members carried by said housing on opposite sides of said guiding member;

one of said contactmembers-being located between said spaced slots and extending into said 1 recess adjacent one side of said guiding member, the other of said contact members extending into said recess at a point with respect to' 3 mediate portions of the parallel slots, and a pair of contacts each being secured to the baseand projecting into one of the arcuate slots. t

5. A socket for lamps with spaced contact pins comprising .ahinsulating base having a; v

' face with a substantially-annular groove therein,

' a pair of contactssecured to the base and projecting into diametrically opposite portions of the groove, and a pair of parallel grooves extending through the edge of the base and communicating with diametrically opposite portions of the annular groove circumferentially spaced from the first mentioned diametrically opposite portions.

. WILLIAM R. YOUNG. 

